Health

BERLIN, Dec 2 – Germany reported a first case of the contagious bird flu strain H5N1 on Friday on a small poultry farm in the northeastern state of Brandenburg, the state’s consumer protection ministry said. The farm in the Oberhavel district was sealed off and some 500 chicks, ducks and geese were culled, a spokeswoman

By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS, Dec 2 – Outgoing United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon apologized to the people of Haiti on Thursday for the world body’s role in a deadly cholera outbreak blamed on Nepali U.N. peacekeepers that has killed more than 9,300 people. Haiti was free of cholera until 2010, when the peacekeepers dumped

By Emma Batha LONDON, Dec 2 – Female genital mutilation can be “wiped out in a generation” across the globe, Britain’s interior minister Amber Rudd said on Thursday, as she called for everyone to pull together to tackle this “horrendous crime”. Rudd, who took office four months ago, said she was determined to see Britain’s first

By Julie Steenhuysen CHICAGO, Dec 1 – Dr. Anthony Fauci doesn’t get too excited about the results of animal studies, and he doesn’t make house calls. But when a drug already taken by thousands of people for intestinal conditions appeared to control the monkey version of HIV, it got the attention of the director of

GAZA, Nov 23 – Palestinian surgeons in the Gaza Strip were discussing medical options on Wednesday after the unexpected birth of conjoined twins – baby girls who share one heart and one body. “We thought they were twins and we would have no problem, but we discovered that it is a Siamese baby,” said Hanan

By Kate Kelland LONDON, Nov 21 – More than 18 million people now have access to life-saving AIDS treatment, 1.2 million more than at the end of last year, the United Nations said on Monday. In a report on the AIDS pandemic, which has infected 78 million people and killed 35 million since it began

By Ellen Wulfhorst NEW YORK – Men who behave like promiscuous playboys or feel powerful over women are more likely to have mental health problems than men with less sexist attitudes, according to a study released on Monday. The analysis found links between sexist behavior and mental health issues such as depression and substance abuse,

Nov 21 – PARIS – Iran reported two outbreaks of the highly contagious H5N8 bird flu virus at farms located in the Tehran region, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on Monday, citing a report from the Iranian agriculture ministry. The outbreaks killed some 5,600 birds out of a total of nearly 283,500

By Lisa Rapaport – Kids who play “choking games” to achieve a euphoric high are more likely to be suicidal and face a greater risk of injury and death when they play alone, a U.S. study suggests. It’s dangerous enough in groups, but without others present to interrupt the asphyxiation children face an increased risk

By Lisa Rapaport – Children who’ve had cancer may be more likely to receive the follow-up care they need in adulthood if their parents take the time to teach them how to interact with doctors while they’re young, a recent study suggests. “Parents who both act as a support for their children as they age and